Klees not to run for Speaker of the Ontario legislature

60-year-old Conservative, Frank Klees has given up his decision of running for Speaker of the Ontario legislature. Initially when Klees announced his intentions of taking up the Speaker’s job, he had to tolerate a lot of criticism and resentment.

Klees bid for Speaker flouted the wish of Conservative leader Tim Hudak along with NDP leader Andrea Horwath. Horwath is hopeful of assigning the job to a Liberal – not a Conservative.

“Little did I expect the kind of firestorm that ended up generating,” Klees said Friday.

“And, as much as I attempted to calm those waters, it became pretty apparent to me that that wasn’t going to be. And a Speaker must have the confidence of the House, and to go into it this way is really not a very positive thing.”

However, Hudak has invited Klees to play his part in transportation and infrastructure or citizenship and outreach.

“I have 35 years of service to our party. Everyone knows who I am. Everyone knows my commitment to the party. To think anything less than that I am a committed member of our party and will continue to be so is just drawing the wrong conclusions,” Klees said.